4-26-2010

"This past week was a really good week, probably one of the coolest on my mission. We saw a lot of success this week. Yesterday I had to give a talk in church, it went well. But the coolest thing was, is that we had 7 investigators in church! 7! I have never experienced that on my mission yet, it was awesome. At the beginning of the meeting there were almost more investigators than members. It was awesome. We also found 5 new investigators this week too. A part member/L.A. family came to church that haven't been to church in 3 years. 3 of them investigators. Then we had a married couple come, the Yosma's, then Br. Osele and Stephen Muller. It was awesome.
Things are going really well here in the Branch. It is really exciting to see. The members are realizing that there is success in Switzerland, and we keep trying to help them notice it. The Lord is blessing us so much in His work. If you do your best He does the rest!
This week on Friday we had an exchange with the A.P.'s (Assistance's to the President) and I was in their area. Elder Stucki and I went to the mission home at like 10:15 at night to change around their laundry and we noticed that Pres. was in his office. So we went in, went to change around the laundry and noticed that it was all folded and done already. So we went and asked Pres. if Sister Matern did it. He told us that he did it for us. The he said "Elder Talley, did you hear about the success story that you are partially responsible for?" "Uh, no Pres. I haven't.." "Well Elder Talley, it turns out that when you were in Solothurn you and Elder Kunzler gave a Book of Mormon to and investigators mom. (Jamie's) then her Aunt came and visited from the Dominican Republic, saw the Book of Mormon, read it, took it back to the D.R. got baptized and has been a member since December 09." (Matt's cousin Alex Fuchs is serving in the Dominican Republic, comes home May 13th.)
I was shocked, I had no idea what to say, and Elder Stucki was just standing there with his mouth hanging open. President always has to tell me, "Elder Talley, Sie wissen nie passieren wird!" or in English "Elder Talley, you never know whats going to happen!" I guess he always was right, it just took me awhile to believe him, but now I do. We really don't ever know what the Lord has in plan, or what might happen in the future or who it will affect, but we will...It was really a humbling experience that I will never forget. I am grateful that I was allowed to experience it.
The Zone is doing really good, actually amazing. At the moment we have 9 baptismal dates, that is truly amazing. I am not boasting, but when we took over the Zone things weren't doing so well, we have improved in everything. It is so exciting to see the missionaries are excited and expect success, we have to CREATE IT. Things are going well. I am so grateful to our Heavenly Father, that He allows me to be a part of this." Elder Talley

P.S. Matt has more pictures to send so be looking for them to be posted!

3-8-2010

"Hello! My Sunday was really good, we had two investigators in church. The weather here is insane, last Monday it was amazing and we played soccer in short sleeves and shorts, two days later it snowed a ton, now it is better and the snow is melting thankfully. Our investigator Murat should be getting baptized on the 27th of March!! The Lord has been blessing us so much in our work here, it is amazing, and I am way grateful for it. I am way busy it blows my mind. I am doing really well though. I love you all so very much. Elder Talley

3-1-2010

"The investigators are doing really good. In the time of two weeks we have found 5 new investigators, so that is good. The Indonesian family that we found last week is doing way good, esp. the daughter. She came to church yesterday and brought a friend with!!! Murat and his father also came to church and had such a good time and felt the Spirit really strong. It was a way good Sunday." Elder Talley

2-22-2010

"This past week has been a really good one, we had Stake Conf. and it was all of the stakes that are German speaking for Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Pres. Uchtdorf spoke to us in German! It was simply amazing. It was so powerful and gave me strength to keep going. I can't even really explain it. So we found a family to teach! The mom comes fro Indonesia, she can speak way good German, her husband was Swiss, he died about a month ago. She has a daughter and a son. This morning we also met with a guy that I talked to on the Bahnhof (train) a couple of weeks ago, he is way sweet! His name is Andy. We taught him the first discussion and gave him a Book of Mormon. He is going to read the Book of mormon and seems excited to learn more." Elder Talley

Feb 8, 2010

"Murat the new investigator from last week is doing great, he wants to find out if it's true! He is so spiritual it is awesome. So, I learned something way sweet in church. I don't know why I have had the privilege of being around 70's so much on my mission, but a member in our branch was also a 70. His name is Elder Koch. He is awesome and I love when he teaches me. He was talking talking about Noah and the building of the Ark. Said he...As Noah was building the Ark people were laughing at him and calling him crazy. They mocked him because he said a flood was going to come. But, when the flood came and the rain wouldn't stop and they were half waist up in water, they probably got a little nervous. And they probably went to Noah wanting in the Ark, they now wanted to get in the exact thing at which they had mocked Noah for building, they were now about to die from the exact thing (rain) that they said wouldn't come...When we compare this to us as missionaries or members (of His church) it gets really good. As missionaries we get mocked and laughed at, we get told that these things we preach will not happen. But one day they will be begging for the exact thing that we tried to give them, the exact thing that they laughed at, that is ETERNAL LIFE the greatest of all the gifts of God. I thought that was a pretty good thought. The Church is true, and eternal life is why we do this.
I love you all." Elder Talley

Here is an Interesting E-mail!

My world has been flipped upside down!!! As of the 1st of July 2010 when Pres. Matern goes home the Switzerland Zurich Mission will be dissolved! It will be no more! The First Presidency has been praying about it for a while now, and this is what the Lord wants. Our mission will be merged with the get ready... I will give you a hint. It is where Dad served.. Yes, the Munich Austria Mission! Crazy!! I don't know if that is what it was called when he served there though. I could have the chance to serve in the same areas that he did for my last 5 months! It is going to be insane! The Swiss Government has really been cracking down lately, I mean really... Last week another missionary got sent to the states, they kicked him out like Elder Schults. Another one almost had a close call. As of May Switzerland will not allow any American Missionaries here! The ones here can stay but no new ones. I am freaking out, because about a month ago I had to go to Zurich to re-register to be able to stay here, they took my Swiss I.D. card that allows me to work here and said they would send it in 3 weeks. They should have sent it a week ago but it hasn't come... So hopefully I get it soon! That would be crazy if I got shipped to America! My new Mission Pres is Pres. Condie. He came out last June, and has been over in Austria. The future is so uncertain right now it is crazy! The work is going good though, the members are getting excited. They always praise us and are expecting to see great things, but so are we! The work in Dielsdorf is really coming along, it is exciting. Last week we found a new investigator. His name is Murat, he is about 22 and can speak French, English, and Turkish. He already had a BoM when we doored into him, he said he read in it prayed and felt good. This was all before he ever met missionaries. He has been prepared, it is exciting. I am doing well, I get to go to the Temple in a week, I am so excited. There is so much power there, so much strength. I need it! I love you Mom!
Elder Talley

Pictures

Here are some pictures Matt has taken.

December 8, 2009

Yesterday we had Zone Conference, It was really good. President made fun of me, because we did a white elephant gift exchange and someone packed candy in a pair of socks. And he told the person to smell them and said if they stink then they are Elder Talley's! He's a funny little man, I love him so much haha. I don't know where I would be without him. Oh guess what, on the 21st I have to go to Zurich to get my eyes checked, I am slowly going blind. (Matt's dramatic way of saying "getting near sighted") At the beginning of my mission in the field i noticed I couldn't read things my comps could read, now I can't read a lot of things on signs etc. So I have to get my eyes checked, an who knows maybe I will need glasses. That would be weird. The work is still kinda slow, our investigators just don't make progress towards baptism. But, we did have 4 people in church tow weeks ago which was amazing. We just need to look for our nickel and not always concentrate on the 100 dollar bill. I am happy and health and excited to have another year of serving or Lord.

These are two of Elder Talley's companions. On the right is Elder Farnsworth, his second companion in Switzerland. On the left is his golden, Elder Kunzler, they just recently finished serving together in Solothurn.

Here are some pictures from his adventures in Switzerland.

November 20, 2009

Thursday we were supposed to have an appointment with a lady that was a referral from the Elders in Solothurn. So we went to the Church and waited, the time came and she wasn't there. We were starting to give up hope that she would come. There was a member there from the Biel Ward, so we asked him if we could give a spiritual thought. So we gave him one. then I got a phone call, it was Frau Schmid! She said that she was on her way, but was lost. so we cleared up where the Church was and then a couple minutes later she was there! My prayer was definitely answered. So we started to talk to her, and I noticed that she was going through a tough time. And I felt that she needed to hear about the Atonement. So I read her Alma 7:11-12, " 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and ^aafflictions and ^btemptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will ^ctake upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him ^adeath, that he may ^bloose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to ^csuccor his people according to their infirmities." then I bore her my testimony about the Atonement and our Savior. She got all teary eyed, then asked if Jesus knows what she should do and I said yes, He knows you personally and wants to help you. He loves you so much. The Spirit was so strong in that room, it was amazing. The whole appointment was just amazing. She wants to read the whold BOM and we also gave her a liahona, the one about Jesus. She is excited to read them. I am thankful that the Lord has blessed us with this experience. I don't know what will come from it, but I am just grateful for the opportunity I had to share with her my testimony that Jesus is the Christ and He is our Savior and we can only truly be happy though him. I am so grateful for this knowledge.

November 9, 2009

From an E-mail:
Mom, I don't feel so good. I just got an 3-mail from Woody, today is his last p-day and he goes home in 3 days..i am now starting to realize the reality of what is going on, when i got my mission call over a year ago Woody hadn't even been out a year yet. he is now coming home and in 3 weeks I hit my year mark. Sure, I know a year is a long time still, but when I look back the time is just disappearing and I can't do anything about it. I never thought that I would get to this point on my mission, but now it is here and I don't know what to feel. I feel like just crying. This is my one chance to serve my Brother and my Savior Jesus Christ like this, and it is slipping away. I have a big lump in my throat right now just thinking about it all.